Shropshire Light Infantry

[Pharos]

Following newspaper cutting found in my grandfather's papers (7069 CSM Benjamin Oswald Raby, MM, 7th(S) Bn KSLI) :-

Private James Bowers, SLI, has returned wounded to his home in Barber Street, Ashton, Preston, Lancs. He describes. Terrific onslaught on October 23 near Armentieres, in which four of his chums were killed.

"The attack commenced at break of day. The enemy came on in dense masses, and though our rifle fire simply mowed lanes through them, they still advanced. The back ranks pushed the front rank forward, and ultimately the German troops reached the very edge of our trench. Many of us simply reached out our hands and pulled Germans into our trench. Our rifle bullets fired a few inches from their bodies, set them alight. And the spectacle was really awful. That fight cost the enemy hundreds of men, and we all came to the conclusion that they were either brave soldiers or madmen to face such fire as we poured into them. We afterwards found that it was the Bavarian Infantry - a fine set of big men - who we had so decisively beaten"

[sotonmate]

Is this in 1914 ? Battle of Armentieres 13 Oct to 2 Nov ? If so it would be 1 Battalion KSLI 16 Inf Bde of 6 Div.

[Pharos]

There is no date on the cutting but on the obverse there are the following reports which are not all legible :

..... Mortality among the garrison is enormous; stores and provisions are exhausted, and the soldiers and populace are suffering greatly from hunger.

The authorities, adds the archbishop, have lost control of the town, and robbers are plundering everywhere. REUTERS

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(By wireless), Berlin, Thursday.

Main Headquarters reports this afternoon as follows :-

In both theatres of the war nothing of Importance has happened.

His Majesty the King ........... Interview yesterday in Breslau with the Chief Commander of the Austro Hungarian Army .............. Royal

Highness the Archduke Karl .............